The Monkey Sanctuary

Calling all little monkeys and their families! Come and see Amazonian woolly monkeys, capuchins, patas monkeys and Barbary monkeys all in a beautiful woodland setting overlooking Looe Bay.

A True Sanctuary

Although there was once a breeding programme in place at the Monkey Sanctuary this has now been phased out and the centre has become home to around 24 monkeys who cannot, for their own safety, be released in to the wild. Many of the monkeys were bought as pets and it is this trade that the sanctuary are working to eliminate.

Rehabilitation

As many of the monkeys have been bred in captivity they have lost touch with many of their natural instincts and the centre work hard to restore these with each individual monkey – they learn how to be monkeys again and interact with other monkeys. For this reason and those of safety it’s not possible to touch the residents, there are however many fun activities to enjoy with your family!

Fun Activities

Enthusiastic keepers at the sanctuary give regular talks adapted to the ages of the listeners and there are special children activities to take part in such as learning about “enrichment” – keeping the monkeys happy and active by arousing their curiosity. Native wildlife is also protected, with ponds for fish and amphibians, wildflowers for butterflies and a Forest Garden where a permaculture plot provides year-round food for the monkeys. There is also a play area and a cafe with views over the tree tops towards the sea.

Bat Cave and Wildlife Room

Be sure to visit the Bat Cave and Wildlife room during your day out for sightings of the rare horseshoe bats – a camera link enables you to watch these tiny creatures. The Wildlife Room explores the lives of many other parts of the natural world including plants, insects, birds, amphibians and mammals. The clever use of pre-recorded footage and live-feed cameras make this a great place to spend time during your family day out at the Monkey Sanctuary.